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My friend Carolyn told me that there were old school desks at our local thrift store. And I had to get one for Bowie. With a coupon I got the double desk and one school chair for $6. I put it in the corner of his room that is surrounded by windows. I think a view outside is so important for the soul. I think a view outside is so important for the imagination, and inspiration, and for beauty. As imperfect and sad a backyard as we have, he can look at trees, clouds, bugs, birds, squirrels, spiders, wind, light, his tee pee, our pets, rain, and on this day he could watch the rare sight of ice in Austin.
Anyway, I look at this photo and I wonder how this desk will look in a year. It will be more him in some way I can't quite guess at yet. Stickers? Collection of sticks? What will he be interested in over that time? It's so exciting.
I am loving his obsession with dinosaurs. I never knew anything about dinosaurs. Somehow I think I acquired nearly no knowledge about them until about 9 months ago. But now I am learning things that I can't believe I didn't know. I am reading Digging Dinosaurs about the discovery of Maiasaura fossils and most importantly NESTS found in Montana during the late 1970s. And this is all a gift from Bowie. He opened up this world of interest.
One of the things I read about unschooling is that the experience of completely immersing ourselves into a subject so deeply that it may appear to be all that we are interested in at the time (perhaps scaring others into wondering whether we are learning math, or spelling, or whatever) allows us to know that every subject has depth and therefore every subject is interesting. It doesn't have to be presented in some cute, graphic, dumbed-down or even in a beautiful, perfect, high level way. It is interesting if we can find the resources and allow ourselves to exhaust every area that intrigues us. If we allow ourselves and our children to have that experience, then we don't have to be constantly "lighting the fire".
I am a former teacher. It is/will be hard for me to let go of loving the order and beauty and storytelling of what I think is the best I learned about education. But I also realize that the best of what I previously learned about learning doesn't really feel in contradiction to unschooling, as I am coming to understand it. And it is frankly relieving. To trust him. To trust the wonder of the world. And it feels exactly like the trust and wonder I had in children that brought me into the field of teaching in the first place. Coming full circle.
12 comments:
Wow I just wanted to say that I love your writing and all your pictures of your beautiful son Bowie. He is such a lucky boy to have you as his mother. You can see your love for him and how you allow him to truly be himself in all your pictures and work. That is wonderful. I know that you said Bowie knows a lot of signs. Did he learn to sigh before he could talk with words? That is a really great skill for children to know? Does Bowie still sign today? I love the pictures of Bowie with his instruments. It is so great that he loves music… and at such a young age too… so wonderful. So many kids today sadly, don’t have that passion. Does Bowie still play his drum set a lot? I also love your pictures of nature! Are you a fan of Thoreau? I think it is great that you let Bowie truly express himself and experience nature’s true beauty. Thanks for sharing your talents with us! Keep sharing! Have a great day!
Sorry two more questions- I think it is great that your are unschooling Bowie. I think it allows children to learn so much more. Will he continue unschooling as he gets older? Do you allow Bowie to watch tv? I think it is important that children don’t watch so much tv. They are seeing so many things that they shouldn’t these days.
Would you ever be a professional photographer? You have so much talent and are so good!
Thanks again
gosh, thank you. i wish i knew who you were though!
bowie knew about 70 signs before he was clearly talking. it was incredible taht we could communicate so well from so early on. and he does sign a little still. today at the park i heard him say, "i'm making the sign for turtle" out of the blue. and he was.
bowie plays his drumset everyday. and asks us to play too. my husband is a drummer also. so we've got more than one drumset and lots and lots of instruments around at all times.
i want to unschool as long as we all feel it's working. i dream of him being a young man learning out in the world, following all of his questions and passions.
and he does watch some videos. he saw virtually no tv in his first two years. now he likes to watch a few videos we have for him: fraggle rock, little robots, animusic (he calls this drumming robots), tricks (kids skateboarding), little bear, pingu. i hate hate hate commercials of any kind and especially those aimed at children. so we don't turn on the tv when he is awake (though of course he is exposed to it at others' homes and businesses). i am trying to let go of the feeling that tv is evil for him. the best of it can be so relaxing and inspiring and fun. but the worst of it (the majority of it) is so vile.
anyway, thanks for stopping by and encouraging me.
thanks so much for that quick response! my name is Caroline by the way. I am a fan of flickr and found your amazing fotos on someone's contacts. So I decided to look at your fotos and then I had to look at every foto because they were so great and Bowie is so cute! You have a great gift for being an awesome mom, picture, taker, and writer! I look forward to seeing more pictures and your writing in the future.
Autumn, We are also unschooling, though I tend not to call it that because I don't like having to be in a constant state of explaining and justifying. I say "homeschooling" when I'm not looking for a lengthy discussion, or "experiential learning" when I am in the mood to explore the concept with people. Really, I think experiential learning is a more accurate description anyway.
I look forward to the adventure of it as she ages. Like you with dinosaurs, I find her interests surprising. For instance, she loves ballet. This is not something I would have ever picked for her. I would likely have steered away from it as my own reactionary bucking of the little girl stereotypical fantasy. But it's is something that appeals to her for whatever reason and on whatever level; it's strangely freeing to leave my preconceived ideas and boundaries behind and help her be her best self.
Oh I would love a desk by a window. I can stare for hours at nature.
I love what you wrote about unschooling and getting engrossed in a subject. I'm very intrigued to see what will engross my younger children and to see where it leads Bowie. My eldest came to unschooling so late that even after 2 years she has trouble deschooling. It's a huge leap of faith to just let them "be" but I'm finding it really worthwhile and healthier in mind and body for us all. We are so stress free and open to learning all the time as a family.
Raquel :)
Hi It's Caroline again! I hope you and Bowie are having some fun adventures today! I saw the pictures of Bowie on his skateboard and bicycle. He is such a brave little guy. Has he learned any tricks on his skateboard? Does he ride the bike all by himself now?
It must be so great to watch him grow and change. Bowie seems like a very bright boy.
In researching education options for my daughter I have been drawn to unschooling as well. I have some reservations but hearing that you as a former teacher are enjoying and believing in the process is very encouraging to me!
wow. i have really enjoyed everyone sharing so much! i am inspired by all of you.
dawn- oh yes, i'm not sure that unschooling in all it's interpretations fit us perfectly, but it is certainly opening up my mind and heart at the moment :) bowie doesn't need to be unchooled, I do. hee hee
Wow, Autumn. I was somewhat having this tugging feeling in my chest today that goes along perfectly with what you've said here. I'm thinking that I found it on a day when I would REALLY GET IT, you know? Because I've seen this picture a thousand times but it wasn't until today that I clicked on the link to your blog.
You have so eloquently and passionately conveyed what it really means to have a child, how it's like being brought back to Earth after being afloat in space for what seemed an eternity and having to relearn what's real and what isn't and more importantly, who decides such things? Oh, to have a child's unencumbered mind!
It's but one of the millions of reasons I'm overjoyed to have had a son. I have to admit, it's high up there in that list.
Thank you for sharing your story!
jenn, i love what you wrote about our children bringing us back to earth. i absolutely feel this. thank you!
I have been learning about dinosaurs a lot more with Jasper too - such a little boys' interest. We look dinosaurs up in books and on the internet when I cannot remember the name of a particular one. We have been to the Natural History Museum in London a few times now and he can relate to the bones and fossils as dinosaurs. I do not think he has realised they do not walk the Earth anymore, despite never seeing any IRL.
As you know, I do not unschool Jasper, but in our time together I very much give him the lead and try not to interfere or push him too much in a direction - even if I find it difficult at times. For example, he has not been interested in books for a while, and it is itching at me to read to him, but over the past couples of days he has been looking at books, so all in his time.
Considering Jasper's current interests, he will either be a paleonthologist or a railway engineer (-:
Hi Autumn,
It is Caroline again. I wrote a comment on this post awhile ago. I still check in to read your blog posts and see your pictures (I wish you were able to post more frequently) Your life and your way of capturing it continues to be such a source of inspiration for me (as I am sure it is for many who see your work). It is amazing to see how people grow and change over time and how things such as a blog post or photograph can allow someone to feel connected to those times and emotions. Readers and viewers can see that Bowie is continuing to grow into a remarkable person. Your trust and naturing of his true self is incredible. (unlike that of most people these days) You should be proud.
Also, I wanted to say congratulations on your recent step towards professional photography. The website looks great! I wish you continued success in that venture.
Do you ever come back to your old posts and think about how life has evolved since the time you first wrote it? (like this one about Bowie's desk for example) I really connected with this post and I am drawn to read it again sometimes. It inspired me to think. It is amazing to wonder about all that life was, is, and will be. And at the same time to truly be in the this moment, this now and appreciate it. This post (and many of your posts) make me think about things like that. So I wanted to thank you again for continuing to share bits of your life with readers and viewers. Please continue to do so.
PS- Congratulations to Bowie on his swimming accomplishments!
And PS- Have you ever considered publishing your writings? I think they would do quite well!
Okay, thanks again for sharing. My best wishes to you and your family.
~Caroline
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